Facilities Management

In stark contrast to the past two winter seasons, this year Western and the surrounding community was plunged into a snowy deep-freeze for several months. Based on snowfall tracking related to winter operations, it was one of the snowiest recorded in the past 30 years. With snow still falling in early spring and the year’s final tally yet to be determined, it could surpass the current record of 306.1 cm of accumulation set in 2010. Temperatures plummeted and snow began encasing the region on Dec. 2, 2024. With the exception of a few days, it stayed below freezing until March. During those three months, the region was hammered by several storms, two of which brought more than 20 cm of snow to campus each time. Two more dropped well over 30 cm. “The main difference this year over previous years was the frequency and volume of snowfall, which included a number of lake effect snowfall events,” said Mike Lunau, manager of Western’s Landscape Services. “Also, there were fewer periods of thawing than in recent years.” Lunau’s team prepared extensively in the days leading up to the first snow fall in November, which he said was invaluable in minimizing the impact of winter storms on the campus community. Landscape Services staff conduct a dry-run of snow-clearing routes, running all the equipment and testing new vehicles, so there are no surprises when snow starts to fall.  

Snow operations put to the test

“We had a feeling we were due for a snowy winter but the volume of snow this year was quite significant,” said Lunau. “As campus has grown and development intensified in the core area, snow piling has become more challenging. We quickly filled our traditional snow piling areas.” Keeping campus safe and accessible this winter required 24/7 coverage. Western’s Landscape Services operators and contractors worked around the clock to stay on top of the continuous precipitation. They cleared several tonnes of snow, creating large piles at Kent North, beside the Power Plant and in the South Valley parking lot. More than 700 dump truck loads of snow and ice were removed from core campus areas and parking lots to perimeter snow storage locations. The removal of piles reopens core parking spaces, improves visibility and reduces the risks of falls created during thaw and refreeze cycles. “The campus community once again played a pivotal role by identifying and reporting snow- and ice-related hazards,” said Bryan Wakefield, director of Facilities Operations.  

Keeping indoor spaces safe

As critical to campus safety as outdoor clearing is, so too is the cleanup inside buildings. The ice-melt that’s essential to maintaining safe conditions on roads and sidewalks is brought in on boots as people enter buildings. The brine that comes in from melting slush is hard on interior fixtures and, once dried, creates a mess that can often be spread deep into buildings. “It can be quite surprising how far from the entrances our staff need to go to clean the floors of salt residue tracked in from outside,” said Matt Mills, director of Building Services. The increased muck leads to more frequent floor washing and, although not as wet as previous winters, Mills noted entrances will always need much more attention in the winter than in the warmer months. Between November and March, heavy duty floor mats are placed at exterior doors to catch the uptick in debris and moisture. On a regular schedule, the mats are removed and replaced. If the material becomes saturated, they are replaced sooner and caretakers will rewash the floors repeatedly. “There is a lot of work that goes into making campus clean and safe for the campus community on a good day,” Mills said. “When the weather turns, we rely heavily on the expertise of our team to take on the added challenges.”